By Angela Green, Content Executive: BM FOODIES awards recognise outstanding team members.
Catering News is sponsored by Two Services
BM Caterers has presented 26 awards recognising the individuals and teams across the business that have gone the extra mile over the last year at its annual FOODIES awards.
Hosted at a client site in White City, to which all BM team members were invited, individuals and teams were celebrated for their customer service, coffee and safety skills and innovation as well as their entrepreneurial spirit, charity work and commitment to diversity.
The Founders Award went to digital marketing manager Michaela Mulvey, who developed and executed a plan to use TikTok to increase BM’s recruitment applications and create greater awareness of the BM brand.
The videos she produced, which were both a fun insight into the kitchen and communicated the company culture, have been viewed 11 million times. The BM account has gained 50,000 followers and the company has seen a 900% increase in visits to its recruitment website and a 14% reduction in the ratio of open vacancies to employees across the group.
The business’s whole TikTok team, led by Mulvey, also won BM’s 2023 Innovation Award.
Mulvey has also spearheaded the launch of ‘Lunch at Work’, a new podcast aimed at positioning BM as a thought leader in workplace experience, showcasing innovative and creative solutions for workplace challenges, and providing practical and actionable advice for businesses to improve their workplace environments.
Wendy Bartlett, founder, BM, said: “When you have your own business, you know when you have a gem who shines within an already standout team.
“We believe Michaela has gone above and beyond and blossomed in her time with us, showing that you can grasp opportunities and make a difference. She arrived in a new country and went from being ‘the quiet one’ to totally embedding herself into the very unfamiliar contact catering world.
“She constantly surprises, and we love that she doesn’t stop learning, takes chances and is a real can-do person. Michaela’s popularity and strong work ethic are widely recognised across the business.
“Huge congratulations to our entire BM family who go to such lengths for their clients, customers and teammates every year and make it so hard for us to select just a few to give these awards to. We see you all and want to thank all our teams for their hard work.”
Meanwhile, the Fundamentally Food Team Award went to the BM chef team at a leading law firm in London’s Shoreditch for their use of BM’s Waste-ED concept to reduce their carbon emissions.
Barista Klaudia Nawrat won Perkee Barista of the Year and George Rodrigues, hospitality manager, also got an award for his volunteer work with homeless people in Hastings.
Hospitality manager, Tripti Seth, was awarded the ED&I Award, named in honour of the company’s equality, diversity and inclusion director Gregory Hall, who passed away last year.
Seth was recognised for her contribution to BM’s ED&I committee, challenging members in a thoughtful and supportive way and driving the agenda, activity and awareness.
The full list of individual winners includes:
- Fundamentally Food Award: Pawel Walaszczyk, chef de partie
- Obsessive about our People Award: Nerida Antoniou, area general manager
- Open and Honest Award: Richard Hodgson, project manager
- Dedicated to our Customers Award: Daniel Sequeira, barista
- Innovative in all we do Award: Amanda Dooley, catering manager
- Entrepreneurial Award: Ian Kingston, operations director
- Support you can Trust Award: Anna Clegg, project director
- Perkee Barista of the Year: Klaudia Nawrat, head barista
- Perkee Manager of the Year: Claudia Pestana, restaurant manager
- BM Family Superstar Award: Gitana Dzidziguri, catering manager
- Yapster Superhero Award: Charlotte Newman, nutrition manager
- Gregory Hall ED&I Award: Tripti Seth, hospitality manager
- BM Family Charity Champion Award: George Rodrigues, hospitality manager
- BM Family Charity Champion Team Award: Ukrainian charity dinner team
- BM Family Safety 360 Award: Ewelina Borys, catering manager
- Special one-off award: to the team who host the awards every year
- Founders Award: Michaela Mulvey, digital marketing manager
Well done all from the team at H&C News.